Plan for a Nuclear Threat
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During the Nuclear Threat |
After the Nuclear Threat
Prepare for a Nuclear Disaster
If you want to assure that you have adequate food and supplies you must take action BEFORE the panic. DO NOT WAIT for government instructions, BE PREPARED. You are ultimately responsible for your family.
Essential Details
- Acquire Supplies
- Make a Plan
- Store Water
- Build your Family Fallout Shelter
Dirty Bomb
- Expect localized and downwind contamination from the explosion and dispersed radioactive materials. If you are near enough to see or hear any local bomb blast, assume that it includes radiological or chemical agents.
- Quickly move away from the blast area.
- If the wind is blowing toward you from the direction of the blast, travel in a direction that is crosswise or perpendicular to the wind as you move away from the blast area.
- Cover your face with a dust mask or cloth to avoid inhaling potentially radioactive dust.
- When you reach a safe location, remove all outer clothing before going indoors.
- Shower as soon as possible.
- Refer to local news sources for additional instructions about sheltering or evacuation. The government is better prepared to direct and assist the public in 'dirty bomb' emergencies, unlike more serious nuclear weapon attacks below.
Stay or Go?
Decide if you are prepared to stay where you are, if you should evacuate. This will depend on:
- Threat Level
- Prior preparations
- Information and guidance from local/state/federal government is a vital resource
- NOTE: Government acts slowly when considering mass evacuations prior to a catastrophe because of potential for panic and gridlock.
Evacuation:
If this is a safe option, DON'T WAIT - Time is of the essence (You must be certain that the risk is worth it.)
You do not want to get stuck between your current location and your desired destination. It may not be easy to get back to your initial location. If you don't reach your destination, you may be faced with the following:
- Exposure to radiation
- No Shelter Location
- When in danger you may not have effective law enforcement
- Exposed to panic-stricken people
- Limited supplies (only what you can carry)
IF you are in a big city or near a military target, AND you have relatives or friends in the
country that you know are waiting for you, AND the roads between you and them are clear, AND the authorities are not yet restricting traffic, AND you
have the means and fuel, evacuation may be a viable option for a limited time.
DO NOT attempt evacuation if all of the above is not clearly known, or if
the situation is deteriorating too quickly to assure the complete trip.
You do not want to get stuck and/or become a refugee being herded along with
panicked masses.
If evacuation is truly a viable option, do not wait - GO NOW! Do so with as many of the supplies listed as possible. Better
to be two days too early in arriving than two hours too late and getting snagged mid-way, potentially exposing your family to a worse fate than having
stayed where you were. Because of the very real danger of getting caught in an evacuation stampede that stalls, almost all families will be better off
making the best of it wherever they currently are.
Step One
Time is of the essence:
- Assure your family has Shelter, Water, and Food/Supplies
- Assign each adult explicit responsibilities
- Water storage
- Shelter at home
- Food - in large quantities
- Supplies - in large quantities
- Iodine pills - when to distribute for consumption
Step Two
FOOD/SUPPLIES
- Immediately go to the store to buy the necessary supplies (See list**)
- NOTE: supplies will be limited (supply & demand theory)
- Preserve your cash: use credit cards when possible
- Get cash from the bank & ATM
Supply List
Minimum of 2 weeks of provisions. Plan for 2 months or more.
- Canned goods (pasta, soups, chili, vegetables, fruit, tuna, meats, beans, peanut butter, etc.)
- Ready-to-eat foods (pop-tarts, raisins, cheese, granola/energy/protein bars, snack-paks, etc.)
- Some perishable foods (breads and fruits like bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, etc.)
- Drink mix flavorings (with no cold drinks, just plain water, kids will appreciate it!)
- Multi-Vitamins, Vit C, Pepto Bismol, other meds, etc.
- Iodine solution, like Betadine (16 ounces)- NOT TO BE INGESTED OR SWALLOWED!
- Largest bags of rice, beans, flour, potatoes, pasta, quick oats and other grains
- Multiple quantities of dried milk (Could include/use some inside shelter, too.)
- Multiple quantities of pancake and biscuit mix & syrup
- Large bag of sugar and jar of honey
- Large 2 gallons or more of cooking oil
- Baking powder, soda, yeast and spice assortment pack
- Bottled water (especially if home supplies not secured yet)
- Paper or plastic plates/bowls/cups/utensils and paper towels
- Manual can opener
- Kitchen matches and disposable lighters
- New metal garbage cans and liner bags (water storage & waste storage)
- 5 gallon bucket and smaller garbage bags sized for it (toilet)
- Toilet seat for the bucket (or use one from inside the house)
- Toilet paper and, if needed, sanitary napkins, diapers, etc.
- Baby wipes (saves water for personal hygiene use)
- Flashlights (ideally LED)
- Portable radios
- Batteries, at least three sets, for each of the above
- Bleach (5.25%, without fragrance or soap additives)
- Alcohol and Hydrogen Peroxide and hand sanitizer
- Aspirin/Tylenol/Motrin, Pepto Bismol, etc.
- Prescription drugs filled, and as much extra as possible
- First aid kits
- Fire extinguishers
- N95 particulate respirator masks
- Plastic hooded rain ponchos for everyone
- Water filters and all other camping type supplies, such as portable camp toilet, cook stove and fuel, ammo, etc., if any sporting goods stocks still available.
- Rolls of plastic sheeting, duct tape, staple guns, staples, etc.
- Geiger counters
- Dosimeters
- Potassium Iodide (KI) or Potassium Iodate (KIO3) tablets (thyroid protection)
- Betadine - solution of iodine - DO NOT INGEST - Skin only
Step Three
WATER
- Store water IMMEDIATELY!
- Use all clean containers available for storage
- Fill the bathtub
- Fill the washing machine
- Plastic soda bottles
- Hot water heater tank a small amount
- Metal garbage cans lined with trash bags– be careful where you fill (may be too heavy to move)
- Sturdy boxes lined with trash bags – be careful where you fill (may be too heavy to move
- Waterbed water - for bathing only!
- Clean water is essential for:
- Drinking
- Sanitary food preparation
- Bathroom excursions
STEP FOUR
Fall Out Shelter
- Basements are your first choice - keep stocked with vital supplies
- Duck tape all seals on windows & doors
- Underground parking garages & tunnels, interior rooms & middle floors of commercial buildings are other options
- The thickness of your shelter will determine your protection
- Structural integrity of all structures is very important
- Small crawl space at the entrance with cover - allow a gap for ventilation
- Gap for ventilation at the opposite end of shelter
- Make shelter size bigger if in hotter climate
- The following requirements will prevent 99% radiation exposure:
- 16" of solid brick or concrete blocks filled with mortar or sand
- 5" of steel
- 2 feet of packed dirt
- 3 feet if loose dirt
- 3 feet of water
Have the following available near the outside entrance of your shelter:
- Plastic hooded rain poncho (rinse/hang dry)
- Water & baby shampoo - thoroughly wash and rinse all exposed skin & hair
When you are ready to leave:
- Turn off all the utilities into the house
- Seal up everything
- Head for the shelter
Additional Needs
- Tools
- Crow bars
- Car jacks (for digging out later)
- Fire extinguishers
- Building supplies
- Plastic sheet
- Staple guns
- Books
- Games for children
- Small/thin mattress, cushions, blankets, pillows, etc.
- Portable camp toilet or a 5 gallon bucket with a seat borrowed from one of the house bathrooms
- Garbage bag liners
- Bag lined garbage can located outside the shelter entrance
- Hanging a sheet or blanket for privacy
- Small LED flashlights or LED head-lamps (Try not to have to use)
To prevent risk of fire, burns, or asphyxiation while cooking be prepared with canned goods, can opener, and other non-perishable foods and ready-to-eat without preparation.
Additional food & water should be kept right outside your crawl space entrance for quick access.
The toilet needs to have its new 'deposits' sealed up tight with the plastic liner after each use and hand sanitizer towelettes nearby. Use a very secure top on the bucket and position it near the wall entrance with the outgoing upper air vent.
Pets
Pets and what to do about them is a tough call. If you fail to make provisions for them, letting pets run free is not a humane option, both for their potential to die a miserable death from radiation exposure outside and/or to be a danger to others, especially with dogs running in the inevitable packs of multitudes of others abandoned. Preparing for them is ideal, if truly realistic and not a drain on limited resources, while 'putting them down' might eventually become a painful, but necessary reality if the disruption of food supplies becomes very long term.
Water Treatment
Boiling or bleach water treatments will be used for cleaning questionable water later for drinking. (This is for killing bacteria, not for radiation
contamination, which is never a concern for any stored and covered water containers or even sealed food.) Tap water recently put into clean containers won't likely need to be purified before using.
To purify questionable water, bring it to a roiling boil and keep it there for 10 minutes at least. If you don't have the fuel to boil it, you can kill the bacteria by mixing in a good quality household bleach at the rate of 10 drops per gallon, and letting it sit for at least 1/2 an hour. The bleach should be at least 5.25% pure, like Clorox, but be sure it has no additives such as soap or fragrance. You can later get rid of the flat taste from boiling, or some of the chlorine taste when using bleach, by pouring it from one container to
another several times.
Learn More
There's much more that can be learned to better understand what you are up against and to acquire to help your family survive and to better endure all of this. While time allows, and if the internet is still up and running, task someone with getting and printing out this additional information.
The Good News About Nuclear Destruction
Nuclear Effects & Fallout Shelters FAQ
Nuclear War Survival Skills
"Know What To Do" 3 minute PSA video
Survival Under Atomic Attack
Duck & Cover Training for Children
All About Fallout
Study of a nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
The Bottom Line
Surviving the initial threats of a nuclear 'event' and radioactive fallout is relatively easy with the proper knowledge and even the most modest of preparations, as we've detailed above. The ongoing bigger challenge, though, will be the one brought on by the extensive and much longer-lasting disruptions of services after you survive the nuclear event and emerge safely once the fallout threat has diminished.
You might go many months with little or no new food supplies, along with disruptions of water, sewer, gas, electric, and telephone services, little or no gasoline, and severely limited medical and banking services, law enforcement and fire protection.
When the TV or radio program switches abruptly to an terse announcement saying: "We Interrupt This Program For This Special Bulletin!", and your kids look up to you with questioning wide-eyes and eager for assurances, know then that you are confidently ready for them with your own Action Plan ready to go! That's what this is all about... saving our families!
Most will not be compelled to read or prepare until a nuclear crisis is imminent and unfortunately, their preparation options and time to do so will be very limited.
By then most survival equipment suppliers will be sold out, as all were after 9/11. If you are wise enough to be exploring your family preparation needs and options
before such a future national crisis, there is much more that you can and should do now to insure that your family is better prepared.
If all of this preparation seems daunting, here's one strategy to make it a little less overwhelming: Think in two's. First,
acquire all the equipment and supplies your family would need to survive for two weeks if totally cut off from stores and
utility and municipal services. It might help to consider all you would need during an extended camping trip in any season.
Then, once you've accomplished that, expand your preparations and supplies to meet the goal of surviving at home for
two months with no utilities or services. After that, continue adding provisions for two more additional months, with the
eventual goal of gathering enough supplies so that your family can survive under these distressed conditions for a year or
more.
A year might seem like overkill, but you'll no doubt discover that in any disruptive event, numerous friends, neighbors, and
relatives will be in need and you will want to help them if you can. Of course, ideally, they should also be preparing their
own families for surviving coming disasters, so sharing this information with them might help get them started. Also, for
your own family's security, you always want to try to surround yourself with a buffer of like-minded people who are also
doing the right things to prepare so they will become helpful allies instead of only a drain on your limited resources. Reality
is, they could possibly even become an outright threat for your family retaining enough supplies for the full duration if
difficult circumstances were to drag on and became ever more desperate.
If you're trying to convince yourself or a spouse to make the investment in prep equipment and supplies, also keep in mind
this fact: Many of the supplies save money because buying in bulk and stocking up now is less expensive than buying
smaller quantities later, especially as inflation ramps up and/or shortages appear. Further, if nothing bad ever happens,
you can eventually eat the food and use most of the supplies, like toilet paper, fuel, etc., so they won't go to waste.
They will also be useful in many disasters besides nuclear events. For example:
- Job loss - Having two to four months of food at home would certainly relieve much of the stress of losing your job
and being without an income while looking for another.
- Pandemic - We could someday see a pandemic unleashed that would require families to self-quarantine
themselves at home for many weeks to avoid catching the disease. Having these supplies and having made these
preparations would make that extremely difficult time more endurable.
- Natural disasters, economic dislocations, civil disruptions - Your family could ride out any number, or
cascading combination, of these events in much better shape if you are sufficiently prepared.
Being prepared and stocking up makes sense on numerous levels, especially during this age when costs for many
essentials, such as food, fuel, and ammunition, will surely only continue to increase. Stocking up now both saves money
today and may well save your family tomorrow.
How People Act in Times of Trouble
When tough times come, you'll likely discover that people today, overall, are not as resilient as they were in times past.
For many of us, our grandparents generation included a higher percentage of self-reliant rural folks who both 'made do' on
less while growing and raising their own food.
Today, most people are far removed from the land and the routine of being
responsible for supplying their own food; many even have a dangerous government-dependent mentality of entitlement.
Fact is, the morality that both sustained and restrained previous generations during tough times is not as widely embraced
in this present population. As a result, many people will more quickly rationalize theft, robbery, looting, and rioting when
they fear hunger and deprivation. Crime is already a problem today-even with nobody being hungry, and with law
enforcement in place. Crime, then, could explode when hunger threatens and law enforcement deteriorates concurrently.
It is therefore prudent for anyone making serious preparations to also include plans for maintaining their own security if
law enforcement is either unavailable or cannot keep pace with the demands of an overwhelming crime wave. If you do
not own or use guns, I would strongly urge you to re-evaluate your personal security. If you find it lacking, acquire some
guns and ammunition immediately, and get some safety and practical tactical training in their use. Ask the clerks at your
local gun store for advice on defensive arms and to point you to local resources for that essential training.
For those who already have weapons, be sure they are effective models and calibers for self-defense, and that you have
stocked plenty of ammunition and high-capacity magazines if needed. Weapons and ammo will quickly disappear, or they
will become prohibitively expensive or restricted, once the essential need is more widely recognized.
Financial Concerns
Once you are well on your way to acquiring your family's preparation tools, equipment, and supplies, consider acquiring
extra items to help others and to use as future barter goods. You might be able to trade extra water filters, garden seeds,
survival books, cooking fuel, batteries, antibiotics, and ammo for other needed products or services. Some people are
even converting a modest percentage of their traditional paper investments into some gold and/or silver coins for trading
purposes, as well as for prudent wealth diversification. Having wealth in forms other than solely paper dollars, plastic credit
cards, or a 401k account might make the critical difference in one day being able to buy gas or get your gravely ill child to
the front of a mile-long line to see the only overworked doctor or dentist or pharmacist in town. It'll sure beat only waving
around your last mutual fund or bank statement then.